Asia is a land full of natural and cultural wonders. But the region, its people and its nature, face critical challenges, including poverty, water shortages and the disastrous threats posed by climate change. IUCN, together with its Members, Commissions and partners, is working to address these challenges by leading innovative initiatives in the region.

At the invitation of French President François Hollande, IUCN’s Director General, Inger Andersen, travelled with a high-level delegation this week to the Philippines to see first-hand the impacts of climate change on the island nation and mobilise support for a global climate deal which is expected to be signed later this year in Paris. …

IUCN Asia Review 2013-2014 is now available for download. In this issue we focus on the many partnerships we embarked on in the past two years, working together for people and nature in order to deliver positive change for the environment. …

With the financial support of the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF), IUCN is helping the Ba Kamint community near Pang Sida National Park in eastern Thailand to set up family forests on their farms and community land to improve self-sufficiency and to generate new sources of income. Families will be able to harvest seeds, raise seedlings in the nursery, and grow edible tree species, wild fruits and medicinal plants for their own consumption or for sale to neighbouring villages. High-value timber species as well as protected species such as Siamese Rosewood will be planted in forestry plots and managed by members of the community. …